Meet Varanasi's 'Mowgli' who quit her job to look after animals

Swati Balani, is an animal lover who has dedicated her life to animals, and has also converted her house into a shelter for them.

Varanasi: Swati Balani, an animal lover sits in the courtyard of her house petting a cow to whom she is a motherly figure. Balani hails from Sikrual in Varanasi and has turned her house into a mini zoo where she takes care of sick and injured animals and birds. People living nearby fondly call her "Mowgli" given her love for birds and animals.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Balani said that she has sheltered 25 dogs, 13 cats, 2 bulls, and an eagle. The animals are either unwell or injured and require to be attended by a veterinarian. Balani has named all of them. Among the dogs are Sultan, Laddu, Chunni, Gattu, Roxy, Kalu, and several others while cats include Chulbul, Jackie, Pixie, Honey, Sully, Billu, and Jordan. The lone eagle is Cheelu.

Balani not only takes care of the animals residing in her house but she also feeds strays of the area and dozens of pigeons and other birds on the roof of her house. A management graduate from Mumbai, Balani has been serving animals for the last 10 years. She even gave up her job and did not marry to ensure she kept looking after her 'special' family.

Her love for the animals, she said, stems from her maternal and paternal grandfathers. "I was brought up amongst animals," she said. Balani takes the injured animals to the vet regularly. "I love animals since they are very understanding," she said.